Chapter 3
As Capt. Vansen's cockpit jerked to a stop her worst fears
were realized. Several officers from The Intelligence Corps
blocked the passageway to the bridge. But to her relief she saw
Col. McQueen in the bay. An almost unnoticable jerk of her head
brought the colonel across the bay and to her cockpit as it
opened. In the brief few moments his body shielded her from the
IC, the disk slipped from her pocket to his.
"To the captain," she whispered, "Immediately!
Don't let IC get it!" The colonel stared for a moment.
"Come along. You're to report to the captain immediately,
captain!"
"Hold on," an IC captain called. "She has to
report for debriefing."
McQueen stared at him with a look that made the younger officer
take three steps backwards. "Sorry sir! But orders from
Chief Of Intelligence. We believe this AI is carrying information
meant to confuse our commanders."
"Move!" McQueen snapped. "If your superior has any
complaints he may take it up with the captain. I still believe he
IS his superior is he not, as I am?"
The young man bowed his head and stepped back. McQueen and Vansen
rushed to the bridge. When they got there the captain met them at
the hatch. "I just got a call from commander IC, Col.
McQueen. Explanation?"
McQueen took the disk from his pocket and the captain quickly
explained its importance to the ship's commander. When she
concluded the captain said nothing but took the disk to a
computer terminal, put it in, and began to read. After a moment
he motioned McQueen over. The two officers continued to read
while the captain stood nervously, watching. When they were done
the ship's commander straightened. He went over to an intercom
and pressed a button. "Engineering!" came a sharp
response.
"Do we have any kryon gas on board?" the commander
asked.
"Yes sir. Plenty of it." the startled voice answered,
we use it for several different purposes."
"Pump it into the ventilation system," the ship
commander ordered. "I want a six part per million
concentration throughout the ship."
There was silence for several moments, then a sharp "As you
wish, sir!" The commander went back to McQueen. "You
will see, personally, colonel, to the safety of our guest."
The colonel nodded.
"Report for debriefing, captain!" the commander
snapped. "You know nothing of this, do you understand?"
The captain nodded and headed for debriefing. The IC asked her
repeatedly if she had entered the AI's ship and taken anything
from Captain Wong. She answered repeatedly she had not. Then one
of the officers interrogating her fainted.
"You're excused lieutenant!" the other officer snapped.
"Get out of here!"
She returned to her quarters amidst confusion. They were getting
underway. Though she was quite sure no major operations had been
planned. She returned to her quarters to find Wong sitting on his
bed. As she approached he held out the disk she had given him.
"They don't like classical," he remarked. "Wasn't
what they were looking for!"
The Captain nodded and went over to the window. The rest of her
squadron came in. "Better get some sleep!" she
remarked. "I think we're going to need it shortly."
The others nodded and prepared to bed down. "Where's
Hawkes?" she asked.
"Colonel took him," West answered. "Said special
duty."
The captain nodded and got ready for bed. "I got a
feeling," she muttered, "the commander's doing
something very rash. I pray to God he's right. He HAS to be
right!"
She turned out her light and was quickly to sleep. Exhaustion
made that easy.
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